Kartini Orchestra tunes into women's achievements
Kartini Orchestra tunes into women's achievements
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of prominent guests packed the auditorium for a rare and unusual event -- a music concert organized and performed exclusively by women in celebration of their achievements.
Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) organized the all-female Kartini Orchestra in celebration of Kartini Day at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center last Monday night. The concert testified to the achievements of women, both in music and national development.
Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the general manager of the station, said at the concert opening that Indonesian women play an important role in the country's development. Many of them are leaders in their fields, including music, she added.
"The condition of Indonesian women is progressing significantly, and we owe this to Ibu Kartini," said the prominent businesswoman, better known as Mbak Tutut.
Concert guests included Minister of Social Welfare Inten Suweno, State Minister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi, and Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Hartono.
R.A. Kartini is considered the pioneer in women's emancipation in Indonesia. She was born to a noble family in Rembang, Central Java and married a local regent. Kartini died at the age of 25 on Sept. 17, 1904, several days after giving birth to her only child.
The government of Indonesia declared Kartini a national heroine in 1964. The anniversary of her birth on April 21 has been observed as Kartini Day ever since.
The two-hour concert, broadcast live on TPI, was indeed special. The producers, lighting crews, musicians, and singers were all women. The performers ranked among the best of Indonesian performers, including the Lacuisa Choir, singer- composer Titiek Puspa, Dewi Yull, Andi Meriem Matalata, Ruth Sahanaya, Elvi Sukaesih, rock singer Nicky Astria, AB-Three, Elfa's Trio, the Rida-Sita-Dewi Trio and female members of the Srimulat comedy group.
The rarity of the event was a reminder that although female musicians have taken part in many world-class orchestral groups, discrimination against them persists.
Case in point is the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in l842. Famed for its annual New Year's concert, the orchestra excluded female musicians until earlier this year. It lifted the ban grudgingly in response to sustained criticism from politicians and rights groups in Austria and abroad.
The orchestra's director argued that a group containing women could have its activities paralyzed by female musicians falling pregnant and taking long maternity leaves.
The idea to organize the women's orchestra in Indonesia came from pianist-arranger Widya Kristianti. "I established this orchestra only two months ago. I feel such gratitude to have this rare opportunity to realize my dream," she said.
Widya conceded it was difficult to find the female musicians for the orchestral group, and she had to draw from among amateurs and professionals.
"Some of the members are housewives and employees who have many activities," she said. "We had only one month's rehearsal for this concert. Members from Yogyakarta only had a three-day rehearsal."
She admitted there were still many shortcomings in the maiden concert.
The evening opened with Galactic Funk, a contemporary jazz piece originally performed by Japanese jazz group Casiopea. Melody and bass guitars played by Annie and Lies Arifin were dominant in this piece.
No classical pieces were on the night's program. The orchestra, which played half-team, concentrated more on pop, rock, jazz and dangdut, the local musical form derived from Indian and Malay traditions.
The concert proceeded smoothly with Ismail Marzuki's composition Melati di Tapal Batas (Jasmine on the Border), sung almost perfectly by Dewi Yull. Singer Andi Meriem Matalata continued with the pop composition Jangan Sangsikan Cintaku (Don't Doubt My Love) written by Diyanti Rukmana, the pen name of Mbak Tutut.
Titik Puspa performed her own composition,Potret Ibu (Mother's Portrait), a song she dedicated to the late First Lady Ibu Tien Soeharto.
Although still a novice conductor, Widya tried her best. But the lion's share of plaudits must go to Ruth Sahanaya and the Lacuisa Choir. With her three-octave voice, Ruth flawlessly presented Somewhere by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
Lacuisa gave a rousing rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. The show closed with H. Mutahar's Ibu Kartini sung by all the artists.
The audience took in stride the occasional weaknesses in the orchestra's harmony, realizing the event marked an important cultural milestone. The debut showed that more practice and endeavor may one day bring Indonesia its own distinguished women's orchestra. (raw)